Harry Potter star Jessie Cave has responded to Miriam Margolyes’ recent claim that fans of the franchise need to grow up.
Cave played Lavender Brown in the final three Harry Potter movies, while Margolyes appeared in the series as Hogwarts professor Pomona Sprout.
Last month, Margolyes sparked controversy during an appearance on New Zealand’s 1News for saying: “I worry about [grown-up] Harry Potter fans. They should be over that by now.
“You know, I mean, it was 25 years ago, and it’s for children. I think it’s for children. But they get stuck in it.”
During a recent appearance at Dream It Con, Cave expressed her disapproval of Margolyes comments. “It’s such a shame that that happened,” she said. “You know how she is — she’s just a bit funny. And I think she didn’t mean for it to be taken like that, I hope.”
The actress then added: “I really don’t like that she said that.”
Since her 1News interview, Margolyes has doubled down on her Harry Potter claims, telling Australia’s News Breakfast: “I just think that it’s for children. And if your balls have dropped, then it’s time to forget about it. You know, go on to other things.”
This isn’t the only time Margolyes has spoken out about the Harry Potter fandom. In an interview with British Vogue last year, she admitted that the franchise “doesn’t mean as much to me as it does to [the fans]”.
“For me Harry Potter wasn’t important. I was very glad I got the part and I enjoyed being in it and meeting all the people, but it’s not Charles Dickens,” she said. “People come up to me and say ‘I just love you’, and want to hug me. And that is dazzling.”
Last year, it emerged that HBO will be making a Harry Potter reboot TV series, with each season based on one of the books. Responding to the news, original star Daniel Radcliffe said he is “definitely not seeking out” a role in the series “in any way.”